2 Chronicles 36

1 Then the people of the land took Jehoahaz son of Josiah, and made him king in his father's place in Jerusalem.

And the people of the land took Joachaz the son of Josias, and anointed him, and made him king over Jerusalem in the room of his father.

2 Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem.

Joachaz [was] twenty-three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem: and his mother's name was Amital, daughter of Jeremias of Lobna. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his fathers had done. And Pharao Nechao bound him in Deblatha in the land of Aemath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem.

3 The king of Egypt removed him at Jerusalem, and fined the land one hundred talents of silver and one talent of gold.

And the king brought him over to Egypt; and imposed a tribute on the land, a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.

4 The king of Egypt made Eliakim, who was the brother of Jehoahaz, king over Judah and Jerusalem (and changed Eliakim's name to Jehoiakim). Then Necho took Eliakim's brother Jehoahaz and brought him to Egypt.

And Pharao Nechao made Eliakim the son of Josias king over Juda in the room of his father Josias, and changed his name [to] Joakim. And Pharao Nechao took his brother Joachaz and brought him into Egypt, and he died there: but [he] had given the silver and gold to Pharao. At that time the land began to be taxed to give the money at the command of Pharao; and every one as he could borrowed the silver and the gold of the people of the land, to give to Pharao Nechao.

5 Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh his God.

Joachim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord.

6 Then Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, attacked him and bound him in chains to lead him away to Babylon.

And Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon came up against him, and bound him with brazen fetters, and carried him away to Babylon.

7 Nebuchadnezzar also carried some of the objects in the house of Yahweh to Babylon, and put them in his palace at Babylon.

And he carried away a part of the vessels of the house of the Lord to Babylon, and put them in his temple in Babylon.

8 As for the other matters concerning Jehoiakim, the disgusting things that he did, and what was found against him, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. Then Jehoiachin, his son, became king in his place.

And the rest of the acts of Joakim, and all that he did, behold, [are] not these things written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Juda? And Joakim slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in Ganozae: and Jechonias his son reigned in his stead.

9 Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign; he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh.

Jechonias [was] eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem, and did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord.

10 In the spring, King Nebuchadnezzar sent men and brought him to Babylon, with the valuable things from the house of Yahweh, and made Zedekiah, his relative, king over Judah and Jerusalem.

And at the turn of the year, king Nabuchodonosor sent, and brought him to Babylon, with the precious vessels of the house of the Lord, and made Sedekias his father's brother king over Juda and Jerusalem.

11 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he began to reign; he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem.

Sedekias [was] twenty-one years old when he began to reign, and be reigned eleven years in Jerusalem.

12 He did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh his God. He did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke from the mouth of Yahweh.

And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord his God: he was not ashamed before the prophet Jeremias, nor because of the word of the Lord;

13 Zedekiah also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear loyalty to him by God. But Zedekiah stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to Yahweh, the God of Israel.

in that he rebelled against king Nabuchodonosor, which he adjured him by God [not to do]: but he stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart, so as not to return to the Lord God of Israel.

14 Moreover, all the leaders of the priests and the people were extremely unfaithful, and they followed the disgusting practices of the nations. They polluted the house of Yahweh which he had consecrated in Jerusalem.

And all the great men of Juda, and the priests, and the people of the land transgressed abundantly in the abominations of the heathen, and polluted the house of the Lord which [was] in Jerusalem.

15 Yahweh, the God of their ancestors, sent word to them by his messengers again and again, because he had compassion on his people and on the place where he lives.

And the Lord God of their fathers sent by the hand of his prophets; rising early and sending his messengers, for he spared his people, and his sanctuary.

16 But they mocked God's messengers, despised his words, and scoffed at his prophets, until the wrath of Yahweh arose against his people, until there was no help for it.

Nevertheless they sneered at his messengers, and set at nought his words, and mocked his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord rose up against his people, till there was no remedy.

17 So God brought on them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed their young men with the sword in the sanctuary, and had no compassion on young men or virgins, old men or the gray-haired. God gave them all into his hand.

And he brought against them the king of the Chaldeans, and slew their young men with the sword in the house of his sanctuary, and did not spare Sedekias, and had no mercy upon their virgins, and they led away their old men: he delivered all things into their hands.

18 All the furnishings of the house of God, great and small, the treasures of the house of Yahweh, and the treasures of the king and his officials—all these he took to Babylon.

And all the vessels of the house of God, the great and the small, and the treasures of the house of the Lord, and all the treasures of the king and the great men; he brought all to Babylon.

19 They burned down the house of God, broke down the wall of Jerusalem, burned all its palaces, and destroyed all the beautiful things in it.

And he burnt the house of the Lord, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt its palaces with fire, and [utterly destroyed] every beautiful vessel.

20 The king carried away to Babylon those who had escaped the sword. They became servants for him and his sons until the rule of the kingdom of Persia.

And he carried away the remnant to Babylon; and they were servants to him and to his sons until [the establishment of] the kingdom of the Medes.

21 This happened to fulfill the word of Yahweh by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land should have enjoyed its Sabbath rests. It observed its Sabbath for as long as it lay abandoned, in order to pass seventy years in this way.

That the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremias might be fulfilled, until the land should enjoy its sabbaths in resting [and] sabbath keeping all the days of its desolation, till the accomplishment of seventy years.

22 Now in the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, so that the word of Yahweh by the mouth of Jeremiah might be carried out, Yahweh motivated the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing. He said,

In the first year of Cyrus king of the Persians, after the fulfillment of the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremias, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of the Persians, and told him to make proclamation in writing throughout all his kingdom, saying,

23 “This is what Cyrus, king of Persia, says: Yahweh, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has commanded me to build a house for him in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever is among you from all his people, may Yahweh your God, be with you. Let him go up to the land.”

Thus says Cyrus king of the Persians to all the kingdoms of the earth, The Lord God of heaven has given me [power], and he has commanded me to build a house to him in Jerusalem, in Judea. Who [is there] of you of all his people? His God shall be with him, and let him go up.